How The Irish Took Over The Pop World

We love a poptastic Irish band here at The O2. And we’re clearly not the only ones. @Aime_G97 seems to share our enthusiasm: ‘Tbh I think irish bands/musicians are the best you'll ever come across.’ We’re loving your enthusiasm, Aimé. They’ve hit millions upon millions of record sales across the planet, and tend to be ridiculously good looking!

Tbh I think irish bands/musicians are the best you'll ever come across ❤️

With the return of legendary Irish superstars, The Corrs, who are here at The O2 in January, we’ve taken a more in depth look at how the Irish took over the pop world...

The popstars

When The Corrs were at the height of their fame in the late ‘90s, there was a pop girl group – also including siblings – dancing their way into the spotlight. The double-denim-loving B*Witched, with their Number One hit C’est La Vie propelling them into stardom, were steadily taking over. They smashed out a further three Number Ones and achieved a very respectable level of success in America before sadly announcing their split in 2002.

Whilst B*Witched were holding things down for the girls, there were two Irish boy bands who were set to bulldoze the pop charts. Boyzone were the first to arrive on the scene with their debut album, Said And Done, which steamrolled its way to the top spot in 1995. Despite a six-year hiatus in 2001, the band reformed and are still recording and performing today. Proof that pop never dies.

After the success of Boyzone, manager Louis Walsh (yep, the guy off the X Factor) set about creating another young Irish boy band, and before we knew it, Westlife were born. Though not quite as successful as their predecessors overall, Westlife still managed to top the charts on numerous occasions, as well as touring the world. They finally parted ways in 2011, and we were left with a massive Irish-boy-band-shaped-hole in our hearts.

The rockstars

One of Ireland’s greatest living exports has to be U2. 40 years they’ve been a band, and a brilliant one at that. Not only do they have an impressive thirteen albums under their belt, the band are proud activists and over the years have supported a number of charities and raised awareness for many of the world’s most pressing issues.

And, finally, the indie charmers

If there is one thing Ireland knows how to do better than pour a pint of Guinness, it’s producing impeccable guitar bands. Two Door Cinema Club, The Coronas, The Cranberries, The Strypes and newcomers Walking On Cars all call Ireland their home.

Two of the most notable indie-pop bands, who have succeeded in dominating the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, are The Script and Kodaline, both hailing from Dublin. Both of Kodaline’s full-length albums have reached the Top Three in the UK Album Chart, and their debut single All I Want has been used in a number of films and television shows, including The Fault In Our Stars.